15% of the global carbon footprint is caused by the automobile industry. Hence, for the last 2 years or so governments along with carmakers have thus emphasized the need of an electric vehicle. As of 2023 most car brands have already created at least one model of a fully battery powered EV. Toyota however contradicts that Battery powered EVs or BEVs aren’t the way to go for the future and believes in a different technology – Hydrogen powered EVs or FCEVs.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The idea of a hydrogen car isn't new, and it has been around since the early 2000s. While previous implementations by car makers such as BMW failed due to fire accidents, Toyota's version has proved successful without any incidents so far.
Toyota uses Fuel cells to power the car. Hydrogen is taken from tanks beneath the car to the fuel cells, and oxygen is taken from vents placed in the car. The oxygen is then mixed with hydrogen to create energy and water, the energy obtained powers the electric motor thereby the car. A part of the water is used for hydrating and cooling purposes while the rest is discarded via the exhaust as vapor.
HOW ARE FCEVs DIFFERENT FROM BEVs
BEV and FCEV are similar with minor difference, while BEVs use battery as their fuel source, FCEVs use hydrogen instead, as both are EVs both use an electric motor.
WHY TOYOTA BELIEVES IN FCEVs
BEVs use lithium-ion batteries, by the name it is evident that lithium is a core ingredient in the making of a battery. While there is no shortage of lithium today, lithium isn’t abundant enough to accommodate mass production. Thus, when mass production begins, there will be a shortage of lithium, increasing the prices of batteries and cars multifold. Hence it isn't a viable alternative in the long run, this is why Toyota was reluctant in entering the EV market. This is also the main reason why Toyota emphasizes FCEVs.
Hydrogen on the other hand, is the most abundantly available element in the universe and the hydrogen lost can also be reproduced easily, they do not use rare earth minerals and are thus 100% sustainable, making it superior to a BEV.
HOW DOES FCEVs COMPARE AGAINST BEVs 
The highest range that you can get with a battery powered EV as of now is about 500 miles (800km). But...
The highest range in an FCEV as of now is 1000miles(1600km), and the Hyperion XP1 is the car that achieves this record. This not only has the highest range of any EV, but it is the highest range of any car ever made.
Considering the fact that it can do 0 – 60 in 2 seconds, it is as fast as a Chiron in a quarter mile run while being 10 times more efficient than the Chiron. making it the most efficient hyper car.
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| Hyperion XP 1's breathtaking exhaust |
Furthermore, Unlike BEV’s FCEVs don’t have to charge and only needed to be filled up. Thus, an FCEV can fill in about 2 minutes while it can take more than 2 hours to fully charge a BEV. So, if you plan to go on a long trip with both cars, you will both fill your tank less frequently and even if you run out, you can fill faster, which significantly reduces travel time.
Apart from abundance of hydrogen, it is also generally a better fuel compared to a battery.
CARS USING FCEV TECHNOLOGY
Though the first Hydrogen engine was developed by BMW and used in their BMW 750HL in 2000, it didn’t use Fuel cell technology and instead built by modifying a gasoline powered V8 to work with hydrogen.
However, the first fuel cell engine was developed by Toyota, 2 years after BMW. The FCX and The FCHV were the first government approved fuel cell cars sold in 2002. Since then, Toyota has made a lot of Fuel Cell concepts among which few were mass produced while few were limited.
The Toyota Mirai was the most popular FCEV of Toyota launched in 2014. It was a sedan made in small numbers, yet it received a lot of attention by both enthusiasts and public. This car proved that hydrogen is not only ecofriendly but also practical fuel for everyday use. Its fame motivated Toyota to make a second iteration of the Mirai in 2021 amidst the pandemic.
While Mirai was an entry level sedan, Toyota also recently unveiled their premium Hydrogen sedan named Crown series which had similar ambiance as a Honda accord.
Since then, numerous carmakers have started paying attention to this technology foreseeing its future, Hyundai, Honda, and Mercedes were the most popular ones among them.
Hyundai produced the Nexo and the Ix35 and are also working on a future race car powered by hydrogen named the N-Vision 74, Mercedes Benz produced the F-Cell and the F-cell roadster, and Honda produced the Clarity F-cell.
But all these cars are practical and everyday family cars. What about super/hyper cars. Can Hydrogen drivetrains accomodate high speeds? Yes, absolutely!
Take a look at the Hyperion XP1 - First ever Hydrogen based supercar. To compare, it possesses torque and top speed on par with a Bugatti chiron and range 10x the Chiron. It uses technology and technicians directly from Nasa paired with extreme aerodynamics to zip through the air and achieve this feat. making it not only the first hydrogen supercar, but also one of the fastest cars in the world.
Hyperion is not only fast but also technologically advanced, the spoilers of the car is placed in the car is shaped like a C on wither sides instead of the rear, also these spoilers have numerous solar panels to power the cockpit and the auxiliary battery. It has 2 holes in the front 2 on the sides to both cool the car at high speeds as well as an oxygen supply for the fuel cell.
WHY DO I NOT LIKE IT? (FOR NOW)
Fuel Cells aren’t a complete paradise either, it might solve the existing problems of Battery powered drivetrains and combustion drivetrains, Fuel cell technology possesses 3 main challenges before it could go mainstream.
2. The hydrogen tanks in the car have adversely impacted the seating, boot, and the legroom space of the car, that's why both the Mirai and the Crown doesn’t have a 5-seater option as the main tank of the car is located beneath the middle seat.
3. The Fuel Cell itself along with the many parts needed to build the car is very expensive to build, as it is an unfamiliar technology as of now, the price of the components and spares are very expensive even higher than BEVs making it unreachable for many.
For instance, the Hyundai Tucson (Petrol) and the Nexo (FCV) are similar in terms of dimensions, while the starting price of a Tucson is at 27lakh rupees, the starting price of a Nexo is priced at a whopping 65lakh rupees, at almost triple the price. The fact that Tucson is a premium SUV while NEXO is an entry level SUV further emphasizes the price difference. Meaning, you are paying 3 times more than a petroleum car for not even half the ambiance.
4. It is not only expensive to make the car, but also to maintain the car. The cost of fueling is also out of reach at 7000 rupees to fill a Mirai from empty to full. Lack of hydrogen bunks and related infrastructure is also a minus, but if and when it gets used more, infrastructure will automatically increase due to demand.
CONCLUSION
Fuel Cell vehicles have great potential in the future. It has more range than any car, it has much higher charging speeds, and its fuel is available in abundance across the universe and even the used hydrogen can be completely recycled. Carmakers are already turning their heads towards this technology, and it is being used by many cars already. Yet, it is in its early stages, it hasn’t been tested on safety, it is expensive to buy and maintain, and takes up a lot of cabin space. Hydrogen cars are thus only in their early stages and need investment of time, money, and capital by carmakers to make the Fuel Cell technology practical, affordable, and mainstream.